The Tao Te Ching, roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue is an
ancient Chinese scripture. The work is traditionally said to have been written
around 600 BCE by the famous sage called Laozi (WG: Lao Tzu, "Old Master").
Laozi is said to have been a record-keeper of the Emperor's Court of the Zhou
Dynasty but the authenticity of these dates and details of authorship are still
debated.

This short and subtle book is one of the most important in Chinese philosophy
and religion, especially in Taoism, but also in Buddhism, because the latter -
an Indian religion - shared many Taoist words and concepts before developing
into Chinese Buddhism. (Indeed, upon first encountering it, Chinese scholars
regarded Buddhism as merely a foreign equivalent of Taoism.) Many Chinese
artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers and even gardeners have used
the book as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely
outside the Far East, aided by many different translations of the text into
western languages.